Massage apparatus



1962 w. N. MOXLEY 3,050,051

MASSAGE APPARATUS Filed Jan. 26, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR.

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Aug. 21, 1962 w. N. MOXLEY 3,

MASSAGE APPARATUS Filed Jan. 26, 1959 2 Sheets'Sheet 2 0 4 4 4 7 5 5 2? 60 1667 g A}! m lmmmwfi 50 6 6 a; 45' FI/G0 5 0 45 '50 j; Z Whin- INVENTOR. mum r JV; MOXLEY :tte

The present invention relates to apparatus for providing a massaging action to a persons body.

An object of the invention is to provide massage apparatus including a table or similar article on which a person can rest and a device for readily assembling or removing a massage producing unit on or from the table or similar article.

Another object of the invention is to provide massage apparatus including a device for demountably securing a massage producing unit on a table or like support for a person, the entire apparatus being relatively quiet in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide massage apparatus including a device for demounta-bly securing a massage producing unit on a table or like support for a person, the device enhancing the massaging action imparted by the massage unit to the person using the apparatus.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of a form in which it may be embodied. This form is shown in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. It will now be described in detail, for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that such detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through an apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 on FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken along the line 33 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken along the line 4-4 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a section taken along the line 55 on FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a section taken generally along the line 66 on FlG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an elevational and sectional view through a portion of the massage unit embodied in the apparatus.

The massage apparatus illustrated in the drawings includes a table 10, which may be of the folding type, in which a pair of table sections 12, 13 are pivotally secured together by means of suitable hinges 14, the hinge members 15 of which are suitably attached to the underside of the table sections by screws or bolts 16, and in which hinge pins 17 extend through the inter-leaved hinge knuckles 18. The table may also include legs 19 at its corner portions, which may be of the folding type, being suitably pivotally secured to the table top sections 12, 13,

and being foldable upwardly under the table in a known manner. When in the supporting position and engageable with the floor F, or other supporting surface, the legs 19 may be held in the vertical position by hinge type of diagonal braces 21} pivotally secured at one end to the legs 19 and at the other end to the table top sections 12, 13.

The table top 12, 13 may be made of a wood or similar frame, and normally will include a suitable padding 21 i et i ice suitable type to the underside of the table at various locations, so that the massaging action can be more pronounced on different parts of the persons body. The massage unit 22 may be secured to the table at one of these locations and may be removed from such location and secured to the table at another location.

The massage unit 22 illustrated is of the type specifically shown and described in applicants Patent No. 2,786,465, patented March 26, 1957, for Massage Pillow. It includes an electric motor 23 carried by a suitable frame '24 that has a pair of longitudinally spaced arms 25 secured to one another by a shoe :plate 26 extending lengthwise of the massage unit. Current is fed to the electric motor through a suitable electric line or cord 27 plugged into a suitable outlet (not shown). The motor is suitably secured at one end to one of the arms 25, preferably through a flexible connection (not shown). its armature shaft 28 extends outwardly through its other end and is secured to an eccentric 29 rotatably mounted in a suitable ball bearing 30, or similar hearing, which is carried by a bearing support ,31 secured to the other arm 25. As the motor rotates, its eccentric 29 rotates, to impart a circular massaging action or vibratory action to the frame 24. By clamping or otherwise attaching the frame 24 to different parts of the table 10, the massaging action is imparted to the table and to the person disposed on the table pad 21.

The device for detachably securing the massage unit 22 to various regions of the tableis a bracket structure 35 attached to the table top and to which the massage unit can be releasably clamped. The bracket is essentially a supporting plate 36 having terminal cars 37 through which bolts 38 pass, extending through holes 39 in the table top and threaded within suitable nuts 40 engaging the upper surface of the table top 12 or 13. The heads 41 of the bolts are preferably of the countersunk type, fitting within suitable countersunk recesses 42 in the supporting plate ears 37. The bracket 35 is further secured to the table top frame by bolts 43 passing through holes in oppositely directed bracket arms 44 disposed substantially 90 degrees from the bracket ears 37, these bolts extending through holes 45 in the table top frame and being threadedly attached to nuts 46 engaging the upper surface of the table frame.

By virtue of the bolts '38, 43 passing through the ears 3'7 and arms 44 of the bracket, and the nut 40, 46 in which they are threaded, each bracket can be firmly secured to the under-side of the table top 11, 12 at the desired location therewithin.

The bracket 35 has a relatively shallow recess or pocket 47 which conforms generally in shape to the shape of the shoe plate portion 26 of the massage unit frame 24. Mounted in this pocket or depression is a pliant, elastic cushioning member or sheet 48, which conforms to the outline of the pocket and which, when uncompressed, extends outwardly beyond the flat surface of the supporting plate 36. The massage unit shoe plate 26 is disposed against the cushioning sheet 48 and is clamped thereto be opposed clamp elements 49 which overlie the bracket arms 44 and opposite portions of the shoe plate. These clamp elements have outer flanges 50 disposed within end recesses 51 in the bracket arms 44, the flanges being straight and engaging the sides of the recesses. The main portion 52 of each clamp element or member is generally parallel to the bracket 35 and is spaced outwardly therefrom when the flange 50 is disposed in the bracket recess 51. The bracket has a holding or antirotation pin 53 extending outwardly therefrom which passes through a companion hole 54 in the clamp member 52 which serves to appropriately locate the clamp member 49 disposed partly over the shoe plate 26 and with its flange 50 appropriately arranged in the bracket recess 51.

Extending outwardly from each bracket 44 is a bolt 55, the countersunk head 56 of which fits within a companion countersunk bore 57 in the inner pout-ion of the bracket plate 36- so that the head is flush with the inner surface of the latter. The bolt 55 passes through a hole 58- in the clamp member 52 and a Wing nut 59 is threaded on the bolt and is adapted to be tightened against the clamp member in order to force the latter again-net the shoe plate 26 of the frame 24 and the shoe plate against the pliant, elastic cushioning sheet 48, which may be made of rubber or rubber-like mate rial. By tightening the wing nut 59 on both sides of the shoe plate 26, the latter is clamped against the cushioning member 48 and the entire massage unit is appropriately attached to the bracket 35, the iatter being firmly secured to the table top by means of the bolts 38, 43.

Another layer of a pliant, elastic cushioning material 60, such as rubber or the like, is disposed between the bracket 35 and the underside of the table top fname 12, 13. When the bolts are tightened, the bracket 35 will be clamped to the table top frame through the intermediary of the rubber or rubber-like cushioning member 60.

It is apparent that the massage unit 22 is readily mounted on the supporting bracket 35 merely by placing the shoe plate 26 against the cushioning member 43 and by then placing the clamp members 49 over the holding and locating pins 53, with the flanges 56} Within the companion recesses 51, after which the wing nuts 59 are tightened against the clamp members 49. The massage unit 22 is readily removed from this clamped relation against the cushioning member 48 by merely loosening the wing nuts 59, the shoe plate 26 then being slid endwise from between the clamp members 49 and the bracket 35. In fact, the massage unit can also be mounted between the clamp members and the bracket in a similar manner by the fact that the wing nuts 59 are first threaded downwardly so that the clamp members 49 are disposed in a downward position, after which the shoe plate 2-6 is slipped between the clamp membens and the bracket 35, until it is under the cushioning member 48 and in contact with a stop lug 36a, whereupon the Wing or clamp nuts 59 are tightened to eifect a clamping of the shoe plate 26 between the clamp members 49 and the cushion member 48 disposed in the bracket recess 47. As assurance that the cushioning member 48 will remain in such recess it may be properly cemented in place to the bracket 35.

As the massage unit 22 is operating and the eccentric 29 rotates, an oscillatory or vibratory motion is imparted to the frame 24 of the massage unit, which will be transmitted through its shoe plate 26 to the pliant, elastic cushioning member 48, the massage action passing through such cushioning member to the bracket 35 and from the bracket through the cushioning member 60 between the bracket and .the table =11, :12 to the latter, from where the massaging action is transmitted through the padding 21, or other material, on the table to the body of the person resting or lying on the table. The cushioning members 48, fihdo not interfere with the transmission of the massaging action through the the amplitude of oscillations imparted to the person. The

massaging action is transmitted to the person, but the apparatus is relatively quiet in operation, since the cushioning members prevent the generation of discordant sounds that would be annoying to the person using the.

" apparatus, or to other persons in the vicinity of the ap- 72. It is a simple matter to unclamp the massage unit 22 from one location and mount it in a bracket at another location,'each bracket being provided with a cushioning member 69' between it and the underside of the table, as well as a cushioning member 48 in the recess against which the shoe plate 26 and frame 24 is clamped by the tightening of the clamp members 49 thereagainst.

The inventor claims:

1. In massage apparatus: a supporting structure for a person; an integral bracket plate secured to said structure; a massage unit for providing a massaging action and having a frame; a substantially flat, pliant, elastic cushioning member flatwi'se on said bracket plate; clamp members on opposite sides of said frame extending inwardly over marginal portions of said frame releasably engaged therewith to hold said frame against said cushioning member; and means secured to said bracket plate and engaging said clamp members to releasably clamp said clamp members against said frame and said frame against said cushioning member.

2. In massage apparatus: a supporting structure for a person; an'integral bracket plate secured to said structure; a first pliant, elastic cushioning member between and engaging said bracket plate and structure; a massage unit for providing a massaging action and having a frame; a second substantially flat, pliant, elastic cushioning member fiatwise on said bracket plate; clamp members on opposite sides of said frame releasably engaged therewith to hold said frame against said second cushioning member; and means on said bracket plate engaging said clamp members to releasably clamp said clamp members against said frame to releasably hold said frame against said second cushioning member.

3. In massage apparatus: a supporting structure for a person; an integral bracket platesecured to said struc ture; a massage unit for providing a massaging action and having a frame including a shoe plate; a substantially flat, pliant, elastic cushioning member fiatwise on said bracket plate; clamp members on opposite sides of said shoe plate releasably engaged therewith to hold said shoe plate against said cushioning member; and means on said bracket plate engaging said clamp members to releasably clamp said cl-amp members against said shoe plate and said shoe plate against said cushioning memher.

4. In massage apparatus: a supporting structure for a person; an integral bracket plate secured to said structure; a first pliant, elastic cushioning member between and engaging said bracket plate and structure; a massage unit for providing a massaging action and having a frame including a shoe plate; a second pliant,'elastic substantially fiat cushioning member on said bracket plate; clamp members on opposite sides of said shoe plate releasably engaged therewith to hold said shoe plate against said second cushioning member; and means on said bracket plate engaging said clamp members to releasably clamp said clamp members against said shoe plate.

5. In massage apparatus: a supporting structure for a person; an integral bracket plate secured to said structure; a massage unit for providing a massaging action and having a frame; a pliant, elastic cushioning memher on said bracket plate; clamp members on opposite sides of said frame, each clamp member having a portion in spaced relation to said bracket plate and engaging said frame and a flange extending inwardly from said portion and engaging said bracket plate; and means on said bracket plate engaging said portions to releasably clamp portions against said frame and to releasably clamp said frame against said cushioning member.

6. In massage apparatus: a supporting structure for a person; a bracket secured to said structure; a massage unit for providing a massaging action and having a frame; a pliant, elastic cushioning member on said bracket; clamp members on opposite sides of said frame,

each clamp members having a portion in spaced relation to said bracket and engaging said frame and a flange extending inwardly from said portion and engaging said bracket; 21 pin on each bracket extending through a companion hole in each portion; bolts extending from said side of said bracket through said portions; and nuts threaded on said bolts and engaging said portions to clamp said portions against said frame and said frame against said cushioning member.

7. In massage apparatus: a supporting structure for a person; a bracket secured to said structure; a massage unit for providing a massaging action and having a frame; clamp members on opposite sides of said frame, each clamp member having a portion in spaced relation to said bracket and engaging said frame and a flange extending inwardly from said portion and engaging said bracket; a pin on each side of said bracket extending through a companion hole in each portion; bolts extending from said bracket through said portions; and nuts threaded on said bolts and engaging said portions to clamp said portions against said frame and said frame against said bracket.

8. In massage apparatus: a supporting structure for a person; a bracket secured to said structure; a massage unit for providing a massaging action and having a frame including a shoe plate; a pliant, elastic cushioning member on said bracket; clamp members on opposite sides of said shoe plate, each clamp member having a portion in spaced relation to said bracket and a flange extending inwardly from saidportion and engaging said bracket; pins on said bracket extending through holes in said portions; bolts extending from said bracket through said portions; and nuts threaded on said bolts and engaging said portions to clamp said portions against said shoe plate and said shoe plate against said cushioning member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 915,197 Lindstrom Mar. 16, 1909 1,017,840 Amet Feb. 20, 1912 2,145,655 Hueglin Jan. 31, 1939" 2,395,156 Wick Feb. 19, 1946 2,717,593 Murphy Sept. 13, 1955 2,894,505 Manausa July 14, 1959 

